Darkness's Light
by Lumiere D'Amour
Summary: "Even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you." Her world fell; her family was torn apart; her closest friends were scattered; and she was left alone. Strange creatures pursue her heart as she discovers new worlds and friends, all while seeking a way to restore her home and reunite those she loves. Kairi-centric/keyblade wielder fic. Starts in KH1.
1. Introduction

Hey everyone! So, I decided to start a new story. I've been on a KH spree lately, and of course, I got into reading fanfiction and everything, and yeah. I came across a couple unique stories that inspired this new one of mine. Both fanfics had Kairi in the place of Sora, and _she_ was the keyblade wielder and Sora was the prince of hearts. The idea got me thinking, and I decided to come up with my own, original idea of Kairi being a keyblade wielder from the beginning of the series. This is **NOT** a Kairi/Sora role reversal fanfiction. Sora is **NOT** a Prince of Heart in mine. He is still a keyblade wielder, and he will have an important role in this story. It's more what happened if Kairi had kinda taken Sora's journey, but not his role, if you understand what I mean. I feel like I'm having trouble explaining it.

Anyway, some important notes:

This story is Kairi-centric: If you love her, well, awesome! If you hate Kairi for constantly being a damsel in distress and love to bash on her, well I can promise she will not be a damsel in distress (at least not always), and she will be be in lots of tough, painful situations, both emotionally and physically. :) I love the idea of a kick-ass awesome female keyblader, and I don't really wanna have to wait until KH3 comes out to see Kairi become one, so, I'm writing my own version.

This story will visit the same worlds: BUT! The story line will diverge because it's Kairi centered, but also because I love the idea of messing around with the worlds and fleshing out the story and characters to be more realistic. And who says I'll be visiting the worlds in the same order as is typically done in the game? (Evil cackle.)

Script: Yes, I will be playing with the script. A lot. Lots of plotholes and slightly unrealistic situations and dialogue here and there.

First Chapter: This first posting is an introduction-kind've like the opening trailer of the games-that I decided to do. It's quick snippets of storyline along with the lyrics of _Simple and Clean_ to see if you readers are interested in this story or not. :) If you decide you aren't, feel to hit the little back button and go glimpse other stories. I did happen to change one lyric of _Simple and Clean_ just because I felt it better fit with my story. I'm sure you'll notice which one. And I did kinda change the order of lyrics so it it would better work with the scenes below.

Finally: At this point, I'd say it's pretty clear what the idea of this story is. If you decide to continue despite already knowing that you hate the idea of this story and leave me a flaming review, well hey, it's your time and energy to review a story you hate. Even if you flame, it's still a review, and the higher the number of reviews, the more likely more readers will be drawn to my story. Therefore nothing will be deleted. Just something to think about. ;) Now, ONWARDS!

Oh, wait-if you notice any mistakes or errors, feel free to point them out. I don't mind people correcting me. I read through this a couple times, but there may still be some spots I missed. :D

Now, ONWARDS!

 **Disclaimer:** No, I don't own KH. It would be awesome, but I doubt my brain could come up with a plot so convoluted and twisted it hurts to think about it.

* * *

A young girl with auburn hair sat on a palm tree that grew horizontally out from the sandy ground before curving upwards towards the sky. Several star shaped fruit grew from it. A boy with brunette hair sat beside her on her right, while another boy with silver hair stood with his back leaning against the tree on her left. The three of them watched the setting sun, just as always.

 _You're giving me too many things_

 _Lately, you're all I need_

 _You smiled at me and said,_

"By the way," she said casually, interrupting the boys' conversation. "I prepared this for the three of us." She took out a small plastic container and removed the lid.

"Paopou fruit?" the silver boy haired boy asked, one eyebrow slightly raised.

 _"Don't get me wrong, I love you,_

 _But surely you have something else to offer?"_

"I wanted to share one with both of you. Even if things should…change... between the three of us, I hope that none of us will ever allow those changes to destroy our friendship."

"You know nothin' could get between the three of us, Kairi," said the brunette.

 _When we are older you'll understand_

"I know that." She gave an embarrassed grin. "But still, you both know the legend that if two people share a Paopou fruit, their lives will always be connected. Well, I figured the same concept could apply to three people sharing a fruit. I want the three of us to be together, always."

"Sometimes you're such a girl," said the silverhead, smirking. But he took one of the three prepared sections from the container anyway.

 _What I meant when I said,_

The brunette took a section as well, and the girl took the last.

"Here's to awesome friends!" the brunette cheered. He took a large, noisy bite out of his fruit portion.

"Don't chew with your mouth open, loser."

"Awh, shodop."

The girl rolled her eyes. _Boys._

 _"No, I don't think life is quite that simple."_

* * *

"Where are you going, Kairi?"

 _When you walk away, you don't hear me say_

"I'm spending the night at Selphie's. Mom told you, didn't she?"

"Oh, that's right. I'm sorry, I forgot. Late night doing paperwork."

"Couldn't you take a vacation, Dad?"

"Well, once all this budget planning is over, I can think about it."

She looked at her dad seriously. "Promise?"

He smiled at her. "Promise, sweetie. Go have fun at Selphie's, Riri."

 _"Please, oh baby, don't go,"_

 _Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight_

She gave him a cheerful grin. "I will." She ran over to give him a hug and a peck on the cheek. "Have a good night. Love you, Daddy."

"Love you too, sweetie."

 _It's hard to let go_

* * *

 _Hold me_

 _Whatever lies beyond this morning_

 _Is a little later on_

Blackness swirled around them, ripping everything from the ground. The black sphere above pulled at them. He maintained eye contact with her, even as they both held onto the wooden planks with all they had.

 _CRACK!_

The wood splintered apart in their hands. Then they were being swept up, screaming, reaching each other, drifting apart-

" _Sora!"_

 _"Kairi!"_

 _Regardless of warnings_

 _The future doesn't scare me at all_

 _Nothing's like before_

* * *

 _The daily things that keep us all busy_

"I can't find them, any of them!" she sobbed to the blond haired man in front of her. "You don't think they-that they…" she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

"I dunno, kid. All I can tell ya is it's possible they wound up on other worlds. True, Traverse Town's usually where survivors wind up, but not always. There's been lotsa people who end up in other places."

 _Are confusing me_

"And the islands? My hometown, my world?"

The man couldn't find an answer. She cried.

* * *

 _That's when you came to me and said,_

"Riku? Is it really…?" She walked up to the silver haired boy and touched him tentatively. Her eyes widened. "You're here. You're really here," she whispered.

He gave her a rare, genuine smile. "Yeah, I'm here."

 _"Wish I could prove I love you,_

 _But does that mean I have to walk on water?"_

Then she kicked him in the shin, followed by a knock on the head when he bent over to grab his hurting ankle. "Ow! What was that for?"

 _When we are older you'll understand_

"For being so stupid! What were you thinking, going to the island by yourself? It was just a stupid raft! And then you got sucked into that dark puddle and I thought that-that you'd-" she couldn't keep a few relieved tears from spilling as she pulled him into a hug.

 _It's enough when I say so,_

 _And maybe some things are that simple_

* * *

 _When you walk away, you don't hear me say_

"Gawrsh, Aladdin, is everything okay?"

A dark skinned, older boy shook his head. "No, Jasmine's been kidnapped!"

"What?!" she and her two animal companions shrieked.

"While we were off finding the keyhole, the sultan said that a boy with silver hair and a strange sword dressed in yellow came from a black portal and took her!"

 _"Please, oh baby, don't go,"_

She froze. _Silver hair? Dressed in yellow?_ "This boy, how tall was he? Did he have unusual colored eyes?"

"Gwarsh, Kairi, you don't think it was-?"

 _Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight_

She shook her head. "Aladdin, can you take us to see the sultan? I need to ask him some questions."

The boy looked at her with hope. "Do you know the person who took Jasmine?"

"I'm not sure. I hope not."

 _It's hard to let go_

* * *

 _"Don't get me wrong, I love you,_

"Where's Goofy and Donald? Are they okay?"

"Why are you asking about them? I thought you'd be asking about Sora."

"Sora? Why? Did you find him?!"

"Yeah. I found him."

"Where is he? Is he here?"

"No, but we'll be together pretty soon. I found out where he is, thanks to a woman named Maleficent."

She recoiled. "Maleficent? But Riku, she's evil! She controls the heartless-"

 _But surely you have something else to offer?"_

"I know. But the heartless obey me now, Kairi. Now I have nothing to fear, and neither do you or Sora."

"Riku, those things destroyed our entire _world_! They separated us from each other, our friends, our _parents_! I've seen them hurt and kill people. What are you thinking? What if they hurt you or try to take your heart?"

 _When we are older you'll understand_

He gave a cocky smirk. "Not a chance. My heart's too strong."

 _What I meant when I said,_

"Even if it is, that's not the point! You're siding with people who've hurt others to get what they want, who don't care what happens to their own worlds. You can't possibly be okay with that!"

"If it means the three of us being together again, then I don't care. Nothing else matters."

 _"No, I don't think life is quite that simple."_

* * *

 _When you walk away, you don't hear me say_

"I'm doing this for you, for Kairi!"

The brunette raised his keyblade. "What you're doing is wrong, Riku!"

 _"Please, oh baby, don't go,"_

"What would you know? While you've been goofing off, I found Kairi! I found you! I'm the one who brought us together. I'm the one who's been trying to find a way to restore our home and find our parents, because it's what Kairi wants."

 _Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight_

"Kairi doesn't want to hurt other people doing it! There has to be another way. I can't let you hurt any more people, Riku. This has to stop. Please."

"I'll do whatever it takes to make sure we stay together. Even if…it means forcing you out of my way to do it."

The two of them charged towards each other.

 _It's hard to let go_

* * *

 _"Wish I could prove I love you,_

 _But does that mean I have to walk on water?"_

She finished off the last heartless. Panting, she turned around. A black energy coated the silver haired boy's body. He was doubled over, his hands on his chest. The brunette stood a short distance away, his keyblade vanishing. The first boy gave a grunt of pain, his face grimacing.

"Riku!" The other boy ran over to him, panicked.

 _When we are older you'll understand_

She ran to the boys, her animal companions following closely behind. "Riku, what's wrong? What hurts?" she asked.

"My chest …"

 _It's enough when I say so,_

 _And maybe some things are that simple_

* * *

 _When you walk away, you don't hear me say_

 _I can't let them die…I can't let them lose their hearts…_ a lone tear rolled down her left cheek. And she knew what she had to do.

Her keyblade vanished. She unclasped her necklace, the light from it still streaming into the golden shield of light around them. And she handed it to the brunette.

"Sora. Please take care of it. You know what it means to me." His blurry blue eyes looked up at her in confusion from where he struggled to stay kneeling upright.

"Kairi…?"

 _"Please, oh baby, don't go,"_

And then she pulled her charm out of her pocket. "Riku, you can beat this. I believe in you." She pushed it inbetween his palms and chest, where he clutched at his heart.

The silverhead managed to look up at her, one eye closed in pain. "What are you…?"

 _Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight_

"Take care of Goofy and Donald. I love you both."

She resummoned her keyblade and moved through the shield, unafraid. She smiled at them.

 _It's hard to let go_

* * *

 _Hold me_

She gazed into the yellow eyes fearlessly. And then she was falling.

 _"Kairi!"_ Her name echoed behind her.

 _Whatever lies beyond this morning_

She felt herself her land on something soft and warm. Through the blurriness she could see a brilliantly lit object dancing a great distance above her.

Then darkness swarmed her vision.

 _Is a little later on_

" _It's gone! Her heart's disappeared!"_

 _"No…"_

Her vision cleared for a moment, enough to allow her to gaze into four pairs of despaired eyes.

 _Regardless of warnings_

"I-it's…okay…still…wi-with yo..." her voiced faded. But she still smiled at them.

 _The future doesn't scare me at all_

And everything faded away into warmth and light.

 _Nothing's like before_

 ** _Nothings like before…_**


	2. Prologue-Dreams

Her eyes were closed peacefully as she felt herself sink through the water gently, her body limp and unresisting. The dulled rays of sunlight could have been seen from beneath the ocean's surface had she wished to open her eyes.

Then she began to sink faster, almost plummeting to the ocean floor, but still she didn't open her eyes.

Suddenly, a flash of white light. Next she knew, she stood upon a familiar beach, the ocean waves lapping gently. A short distance away, a brown haired boy she knew stood at the water's edge. He looked around, seeming disoriented.

Another boy she knew stood almost thigh deep in the water, his back turned to the shore. The sea breeze blew through his silver hair playfully. The first boy lifted his hand to block the harsh rays of the sun shining in his blue eyes. Apparently seeing the other boy in the water, the first boy began to make way his way towards the second.

The girl stood there, observing all of this from her place on the beach. She saw the blue eyed boy stop and look down at the water, as if only just now realizing how deep out in the sea the other boy stood.

The girl's eyes widened. A gigantic wall of water was suddenly raging towards them. _A tsunami!_ Her eyes darted to the boy still in the water, then to the one on the beach. "Look out!" she cried. She made to run towards both of the boys, but her feet were unable to move.

The silver haired youth appeared unconcerned. He looked over his shoulder at the brunette. Finally, the silver haired boy turned around to face the other teen. He then held out his gloved right hand towards the boy on the beach. All the while, the massive wave was coming closer. The silverhead just stood there with an air of calm.

"What are you doing? Move!" the girl cried again. But it was like they didn't hear her at all.

As if reflecting her feelings of panic, the boy on the beach dashed towards the boy in the water, his arm stretched out in front of him. Everything seemed to move in slow motion for a moment, and then the silver haired boy was gone. The girl saw the waves overtake the brunette.

 _"_ _Riku! Sora!"_ she shouted. The female struggled to move from her place.

Then she too was underwater, but unlike the boys, she was not tumbling or floating about. She was just _there._

 _Why isn't Riku swimming to the surface?_ she wondered while looking at the silver haired boy. Riku floated, unconcerned. Riku's aquamarine eyes were locked with the brunette's. The girl looked over at the other boy. _I don't get it! Is he waiting for Sora to do something?_ She saw Riku hold out his hand towards Sora again, even as the two boys slowly drifted apart. Sora started to frantically swim, his own hand struggling to reach out again towards Riku's. But then the ocean currents pushed Sora away from Riku.

The scene changed again. The girl was standing on the shore once more in the light of a beautiful sunset. She saw Sora's head break the surface of the water. Sora was looking around.

"Sora! Sora!" The girl waved at him a bit frantically, getting his attention. He waved back. _He can see me now!_ The boy splashed through the water towards her. She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. _Oh good,_ _he seems to be okay!_ She took a few steps toward him. When he bent over to catch his breath, she stopped a short distance away to give Sora room to breathe. The female teen folded her hands behind to her back to keep them from grabbing at him. She leaned over and looked over Sora for any signs of injury.

Sora finally glanced up at her and gave a small smile. Seeing that he was fine, she straightened up and smiled herself. The girl drew her hand towards her mouth as she gave a small relieved laugh and looked at Sora fondly.

But her relief was short lived. The smile fell away as she blinked once, twice. Sora turned to see what she was looking at. Ten or so shooting stars fell from the sky. _Is that a person?_ A body was falling through the sky! But neither she nor Sora could make out the person's appearance from the distance they stood at.

The person continued to fall. The girl gasped, her hand coming to her mouth. _He'll die if he hits the water from that height!_ The person fell closer and closer towards the ocean.

The girl suddenly saw Sora falling. Concerned, she turned towards the boy. But then the ground she was standing on turned to a clear, reflective surface and Sora was falling towards it. She reached out to grab his hand as he fell. But then he was falling _through_ the surface as if it were water _._ He tried to grab hold of her hand, but after a few seconds he seemed to surrender to his fate, his arm going to hang limply by his side. _"Sora!"_ she screamed. She stood on the surface, the water rippling from where he fell, all the while reflecting the blue sky and white clouds above her. Then the ripples smoothed out, and from atop the smooth surface the girl could see clouds and the setting sun _below_ her. She watched helplessly as Sora continued to fall until he broke through another surface of water, and then he was just… _gone._

The girl screamed, _"_ Sora! _Sora!_ " Tears streamed down her cheeks as she fell to her knees and banged at the surface she stood upon, which was now hard and unrelenting unlike it had been when Sora fell through.

The barrier proved to be unbreakable, no matter how hard the girl tried to reach Sora.

Then she woke up.


End file.
